Historic Firsts
The first man to set foot on the moon
Who is Neil Armstrong? On July 20, 1969, Neil Armstrong became the first human to descend in the lunar module Eagle and set foot on the moon, “a giant leap for mankind,” in his words. He was part of a three-man team on NASA’s Apollo mission. He was accompanied in the lunar module by Buzz Aldrin, who joined him in planting the American flag on the moon. Michael Collins remained behind in the command module Columbia.
It’s not only a bog fruit associated with the holidays but also a shade of red.
What is cranberry? It comes from the German word kraneberrie, which means “crane berry.” It earned this name because the flower of the cranberry plant looks like a crane’s head and neck.
Citrus fruit with a bright yellow rind, pink interior, pulp, and seeds
What is grapefruit? Grapefruit can interfere with some prescription drugs. If you’re unsure about interactions, check with your doctor or pharmacist.
The New Testament of the Bible was originally written in this language.
What is ancient Greek? It’s also known as Koine Greek. The Old Testament was written in Hebrew.
This everyday expression includes the color of Ireland and a word similar to jealousy.
What is green with envy? The idiom may have begun with Shakespeare’s writings. He wrote about jealousy in at least two of his plays: In Othello, he refers to “the green-eyed monster,” a phrase we still hear. In Antony and Cleopatra, he uses “the green sickness.”
Tie-dye fashions emerged on the scene in this decade.
What is the 1960s? At the time, it was a counterculture statement. It has re-emerged as part of 21st-century “anything goes” fashion and crossed into home furnishings as well, sans the counterculture statement.
The century during which the first U.S. transcontinental railroad was finished.
What is 19th century? In 1869, the inauguration of the railroad led to the country’s westward expansion.
This shade of tan is named for an animal that has a hump for storing fat and that you can ride at the Giza Pyramids in Egypt.
What is camel? The name for this hue of tan comes from the color of camel hair.
Nouns, pronouns, verbs, adjectives, adverbs, conjunctions, and prepositions
What are parts of speech? At a minimum, most sentences have a noun and a verb. Some sentences are one-word sentences comprised of only an interjection, such as Yes! No! and Ouch!
Aside from the ability to speak to others in their language and increase confidence, learning a new language boosts this.
What is brainpower (or similar)? Language learning is another tool in the arsenal for keeping the brain engaged.
In 1920, this Macy’s competitor (now closed) was the first to host a Thanksgiving Day Parade in Philadelphia.
What is Gimbel’s? The department store, founded in 1887, closed its doors in 1986.
These were the big and bulky predecessor to women’s slips.
What are petticoats? Also called crinolines, petticoats added bulk as well as modesty to skirts and dresses in the 19th century.
The first American self-made businesswoman to become a millionaire
Who is Sarah Breedlove (or Madam C. J. Walker)? Breedlove had a problem with hair loss, so she started a hair-care company for Black women that focused on healthy hair. Madam C. J. Walker was her business name and the name of her line of products.
Chartreuse is a hue of this secondary color.
What is green? It derives its name from the herbal liqueur Chartreuse, first created by the Carthusian monks of the Grande Chartreuse monastery in the French Alps.
Individual stars that form a shape within a defined boundary
What is a constellation? NASA recognizes 88 constellations, 48 of which were named by the ancient Greeks. Each constellation is often named for its brightest star, and most have a backstory.
Snap! Crackle! Pop! The mascots of this cereal are known as Cric, Crac, and Croc in France.
What is Rice Krispies? In Spain, their names are Cris, Cras, and Cros.
When translated, the Italian title of this 1960 Federico Fellini film starring Marcello Mastroianni means “The Sweet Life.”
What is La Dolce Vita? It was filmed in Italy, mostly in Rome and the surrounding area.
Umbrellas used by women in the sun were called this.
What are parasols? Around 4,000 years ago, ancient Egypt, Assyria, and China brought us the parasol as we know it. They were made of non-waterproof material and not only shielded women from the sun but also were decorative in nature.
First woman to win a Nobel Prize; did so for her work in the field of radioactivity and then again for her work in chemistry
Who is Marie Curie? In 1903, the Nobel committee awarded the prize to Curie, her husband Pierre, and physicist Becquerel, “in recognition of the extraordinary services they have rendered by their joint research on the radiation phenomena discovered by [Becquerel].”
A shade of this color is associated with Tiffany & Co.
What is blue? Tiffany has used the distinctive hue, also known as robin egg blue, since 1845. Tiffany Blue received a trademark in 1998, and it is now Pantone standard color “1837 Blue,” in commemoration of the year Tiffany was founded. Pantone colors are used by designers around the globe to ensure standardization and accuracy.
The colder of the two appliances that have a compressor, condenser coils, evaporator, evaporator fan, thermostat, and door gasket
What is a freezer? The freezer and refrigerator both have the named components but have differing safe-operating temperatures.
The original language of One Thousand and One Nights.
What is Arabic? The collection of tales comes from a translation of other stories written in Persian and other languages. The first person to translate the work into English remains anonymous.
A female merchant hawks marine carcass coverings on the beach.
What is “She sells seashells by the seashore”? This popular tongue twister is often used to illustrate alliteration, or groups of words with a repeated initial consonant.
You couldn’t walk into a soda shop in the 1950s without seeing these trendy circle skirts on girls and young women.
What are poodle skirts? The skirts were usually adorned with appliquéd poodles, but sometimes they featured other themes.
Origin country of the first woman in space
What is Soviet Union (not Russia)? In 1963, Valentina Tereshkova orbited Earth for three days.
This shade of pink is also the name of a plant with exquisite, delicate petals.
What is fuchsia? It’s a very bright purplish-pink color used in home furnishings as well as in fashion. It dates to the 16th century, when the fuchsia plant was discovered in Central America.
Has a needle, bobbin winder, hand wheel, and foot pedal
What is a sewing machine? Even though sewing machines today are computerized and can do much more than their predecessors, their essential parts remain the same.
The English word piano is a borrowed word from this language.
What is Italian? Piano is a shortened version of the Italian pianoforte. Other borrowed words include entrepreneur, which comes from the French, and kindergarten, from the Germans.
This type of light causes wrinkles and ages skin.
What is ultraviolet (or UV)? According to the Cleveland Clinic, too much UV light exposure can cause wrinkles, freckles, skin discolorations, and even cancer.
This straw hat for men was introduced in the 1920s and made in Ecuador.
What is Panama hat? The hat was made in bulk in Ecuador and sent to a port in Panama. There, they were loaded on ships for distribution to Asia, the Americas, and Europe.
Country in which Dr. Christian Barnard performed the first human heart transplant
What is South Africa? The heart transplant took place in Cape Town. While the patient survived only 18 days, Dr. Barnard’s success laid the foundation for research and heart transplants to continue.
This French word means “unbleached” and lends its name to a pale, neutral color.
What is ecru? The light beige shade is most often found in linen, cotton, and silk fabric.
Type of boat with a mast, jib, stern, and bow
What is a sailboat? Every sailboat has a mainsail and a jib sail. Some sailboats have more specialty sails as well. The mast is a vertical pole that holds the sails. The stern is the back of the sailboat, and the bow is the front.
This major world language is one of the three official languages of Fiji.
What is English? The other two official languages are Fijian and Fiji Hindi. Many people in Fiji speak a variant of English with a few Fijian or Hindi words sprinkled in. This is known as Finglish.
This New York City store’s shoe floor has its own zip code.
What is Saks Fifth Avenue? The official zip code is 10022-SHOE. The shoe floor features several shoe shops.
These practical two-piece outfits worn by women in the 1940s were made with minimal fabric due to rationing.
What are victory suits? They featured tailored jackets and knee-length skirts and came to symbolize resilience and resourcefulness.